365 beers in 365 days

Name: SchwarzbierBrewery: Hallertau (Auckland, New Zealand)Style: ShwarzbierABV: 5.1%Source: New World

I like to think of myself as a dark beer kinda gal (see last post for proof), but I’m thinking that Shwarzbier might not be my jam.

True, I’ve only ever had two – this and Monteith’s Black which might not even count – but I’ve found both to be a little on the watery side. I like my dark beers to be hearty and fat, and this was just a bit too austere.

This had some nice aromas – chocolate, roasty coffee, nuts, vanilla – but I didn’t feel like they translated that well on the palate. I wanted full-bodied malt and sweetness to back them up, but instead it was dry and bitter – almost harsh.

I guess this is probably true to style, in which case the style is not for me. And actually it’s probably a good thing if it turns out I don’t like shwarzbeirshwarzbier schwarzbier, seeing as I’m not quite sure how to say it or spell it.

My stepmum had this really cool idea of doing a 0% alcohol beer for February 29th since its kind of a non-day (apologies if it’s your birthday, you poor sod), but things didn’t quite work out and I ended up doing something much less interesting instead.

As a matter of principle I try to avoid buying Monteith’s (or other DB) beers at any cost – to the point where I have bought some very bad beer simply because it was the only alternative. I don’t think I need to explain why – anyone beer nerdy enough to read this blog will be sick of the whole Radler thing by now – but lets just say I think DB are Douche Bags and leave it at that. (And also Dick Brains, and Dumb Bums, and any other witty DB’s you can think of. There are a lot, so have fun with it!)

Occasionally though, I find myself in situations where the beer is free and there’s no other choice. That’s how my ‘beer of the day’ came to be a fifth of a Monteiths Black, drunk from a plastic cup at the Monteiths CheeseFest.

On the nose it was kind of promising – some chocolatey, espresso notes, perhaps a little fruit even. In the mouth it was OK – I got sugary caramel and a little roasty bitterness at the finish, but it was a bit watery, and the flavour seemed to shirk away, unceremoniously, at the finish.

To be honest, this really isn’t a bad beer for the price. I can see why so many Kiwis would include this or others from the Monteiths range in their weekly shop, because it’s cheapish and it does actually have some flavor.

But that’s doesn’t excuse DB for being Dick Bags, Dirt Balls, Ding Bats, etc, so I won’t ever be one of them.

(PS – If you like Monteith’s black but don’t want to give your money to those Donkey Butts, I suggest Cooper’s Stout as a similarly priced, much more delicious and completely non-evil dark beer.)

I’ve finally succumbed to holiday laziness and am blogging two beers in one post. I imagine everyone is too hungover from New Year’s to even think about beer however, so no one will see it.

(Except for my parents. Hi Guys! Oaxaca is awesome, will email soon.)

So both of these beers had a similar problem actually. When I poured them they fizzed up and gave a big head, then went completely flat.

Now – I’m no doctor, but I think this might be because I was trundling them around on cobblestone streets and shaking them all up. If that’s the case then I have 10 more flat beers waiting for me, and they’ll all be warm too since the hotels don’t have fridges. Turns out stocking up in Mexico City wasn’t the best idea ever.

The Baja Black (a 6% Shwarzbier) was really nice, despite being warm and flat. It had an aroma of dark stonefruit, licorice and roasty, chocolate malt, and in the mouth it was sweet with a dry finish. It lacked a little in mouthfeel, but I think it just needed some fizz.

The Catrina (Cerveceria Hacienda, Red Ale, 7%) did not fare so well. It needed to be cold and carbonated, but even then I’m not sure it would have been great. There was something slightly strange and sickly about the aroma – like caramel and feet, and the flavour, though not so bad, was a bit boring.

On the plus side – it had a nice bitter kick at the finish, and the label is cool.

So it’s New Years Eve in Oaxaca tonight, and I have a very good feeling about it.

The main square (zocalo) here has been packed with people eating, dancing and playing music for the last two nights, so tonight should be big. In preparation I’ve put a special bottle of beer that Rodolfo gave me into some coldish water, and once I’ve found a vessel to drink it out of, I’ll be ready to party!